SC HOLIDAY: A Cooper Christmas
by Kit-Karamak
Summary: Year SEVEN! I keep things short and to the point this year... it's possible, even this early into their relationship, that Carmelita might be willing to let Sly go 'back to work.' A good wife is always an understanding one, n'est-ce pas? Also, check out my bio-page for a link to my Work-In-Progress Original Novel! You can read the draft! Yay!
1. 2006

**_S_ly Cooper sat inside a jail cell**, looking at a weathered old wall calendar; it was Christmas Eve. At the end of the hallway, out of his eye sight, a door squeaked open and footfalls graced the corridor.

Adorned in a red felt coat with white trim and a red Santa hat, Carmelita Fox stopped in front of his cell. She gave a festive smile and announced, "Merry Christmas, ringtail! Thought you could just break into my office safe and be up to your old antics last night huh? Didn't think you'd be outsmarted by my new security trap, did you? And here I thought Santa Claus didn't bring presents to anyone but children."

Sly gave a smile upon seeing her happy face. "Well, well, if it isn't jolly ole saint Fox! And here I just wanted to put a little tiding of joy under your tree this year. How are ya, inspector?"

"Oh there were tidings of joy, alright!" she exclaimed. "Finding you in my trap last night makes me happier than you could imagine... Why, it put my faith back in holiday spirit! And to think just the other day the boys around the office called me Scrooge." She held a carafe of eggnog and poured a glass for the raccoon. "Merry Christmas, Ringtail. I'll even come back and visit you on New Year's Eve next week."

"You're too kind!" Sly said cheerfully, taking the liquor-filled drink. He took a sip then said, "That's rather sugary. I like it."

"My grandmother's Spanish recipe," she said. "You know it'll be Christmas day in about ten minutes."

"Midnight already?" asked Cooper. "In that case," he said coming to his feet, "I was wondering if you could grant me a little Christmas wish?"

"You're not getting a 'get out of jail free' card, Ringtail. So you can just forget about that."

Sly approached the bars and pulled a piece of mistletoe from his pocket, holding it up, above her head, leaning in between two bars. "I would never ask to be let free, Carmelita. I actually came to give _this_ to you."

Carmelita looked around nervously; there were no guards around and the other inmates were asleep. She frowned thoughtfully, eyeing the little green plant, wrapped in red lace with a bell on the end. Her eyes narrowed for a moment then... she smiled.

"You're my prisoner. You can't get away. What's the harm in one little Christmas kiss?" She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was meant to be a chaste little brush of the lips. However it became anything but short. He reached through the bars and cupped the back of her head while keeping the mistletoe above their noses with his other paw.

Finally the lip lock concluded. She opened her eyes, gazing down at where their lips had just met. A demure little smile danced over her visage.

"Its time we opened that bottle of wine, Cooper," she said in reference to the one she'd presented to him the night they defeated Clock La. "It's in my office, I'll be right back with two glasses and some Christmas party food; leftovers from this afternoon's office party."

"Gonna drink the whole bottle, Inspector?" Sly gave her a playful wink.

"Why not, ya freakin' flirt. I'm off work tomorrow. In fact, I'm off tonight. I just wanted to see you behind bars to remind me of that holiday spirit." She turned away from him and sauntered back down the hallway. The red Santa skirt was rather revealing and worn just for this occasion, as if to rub in his face that she had won.

In her office, Carmelita snatched two glasses and made a dinner tray. She took some of the leftovers out of the mini fridge in her office. Foxes were notorious for cashing food, after all. She put the food on a plate then set it in the microwave and heated it.

Carmelita popped the top off of the bottle and reveled in the aroma. It was the nectar-filled scent of victory. She'd held on to this wine for so long and wanted desperately to taste it, knowing that it would be the night that Sly Cooper sat behind bars.

She had more to celebrate than just his capture. She could now celebrate his kiss, that the chase ended and that she was now to be promoted. She wanted to celebrate the end of her obsession and a more meaningful future. She wanted to celebrate her New Year's resolution: To catch Sly Cooper this year. It took her fifty weeks to accomplish but she managed it and now she could finally make a fresh new resolution.

The Christmas trees were greener and the bows were a brighter shade of red. Carmelita poured the wine into each glass then snuck a little sip. It was glorious; the taste of victory and it tingled wonderfully on her tongue. It was aged just right and everything was perfect. She scooped up the wine bottle and placed it on the tray along with two glasses of wine and a hot plate of food.

Carmelita lifted the tray balancing it on her right palm. She left her office and headed down the hallway humming Christmas carols with a jaunty step.

"I've got to thank you, Ringtail!" she called out, still heading down the hallway. "If you'd not put up such a good chase, this wine wouldn't be aged so well. It was as if it was meant to be opened tonight!"

She came to stop in front of Cooper's cell, placing the tray on a wooden chair next to the gate switch. She then turned towards the gate. The mistletoe was taped to the iron bars, but Cooper was nowhere to be found.

Her jaw simply dropped. "COOPER!" she cried in anger, waking up every inmate in the row. She just stared at the mistletoe, practically dumbfounded. After a moment she reached for a slice of ham and, instead of her glass of wine, she wrapped her paw around the neck of the wine bottle, uttered "Crap," then took a long pull from the bottle so as not to waste it.

"Merry Christmas ta' you too, _criminal_." She reached up and snatched the mistletoe from the bars and shoved it into her pocket. He was only supposed to get forty-eight hours for misdemeanor charges of breaking and entering as Carmelita dropped the charges; that meant she couldn't technically slap him with _wanted fugitive_ status.

She just took another long pull off the bottle, slumped into the wooden chair and stuffed a scrap of Christmas ham into her muzzle. If it wasn't midnight, on Christmas, she'd have torn off, looking for him. What she_ didn't _know was that a fresh bouquet of poinsettias now awaited her at home...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, Y'ALL!

Love,

Kit


	2. 2007

Chapter -**2**-  
2007

**C****armelita Fox slumped against the backrest of her sofa.** She lifted her right paw, pointed the remote at her television and powered it off. "Another Christmas program," she muttered. She cut her gaze to the elegantly decorated tree in the corner of her living room – something that a certain gray-furred trespasser had erected the other day while she was at work. She narrowed her gaze at it then tossed the remote at the unwanted decoration. "It's just an over commercialized holiday for the retail industry."

Each day she came home from work, she found yet another ornamental object in her home. Last Tuesday, he left Poinsettias on her kitchen table. On Wednesday, she came home to a hallway decked with boughs of holly. Carmelita had off on Thursday but several times during the evening, she found mistletoe in the arch of every doorway, leading her to believe he might have been there. When she came home Friday, the tree was erected and decorated with care and on Saturday, it was dressed in a string of soft white lights.

Carmelita Fox grew less spirited by the day. It seemed as though the Holidays became a reminder that she lost her prize catch last year on Christmas Eve. However, she had to admit that his Valentine's Day gift was actually sweet. The vixen ran her fingers back through her dark hair and cast another glare at the tree. Yesterday, she went to a Sunday afternoon brunch with the Chief and several other Interpol agents. When she came home, stockings hung over the mantle above her gas-powered fireplace. One had her name on it in neat stitching, the other had his scrawled out but was less than elegant. He'd put a candy cane in each.

She came home earlier this evening and found a wreath on every door in the flat. Her eyes cut to an advent calendar on the wall. She pulled a microcassette recorder from her pocket and thumbed a button on it. She clinched her jaw and grinded her teeth then grumbled, "Monday, December Twenty-Fourth. Every trap I've set has been avoided for a straight week. It's quarter of and I've still not caught him. Today, I came home and found that he had decorated _again_. At first, I thought he was doing it to gloat over last year's escape but today… he did my laundry. He ironed my clothes and hung them up in the closet. If he wasn't such a little creep, he'd make a great housewife. Also, he left a small portion Christmas meal in the fridge with a card that read, '_Last week, Bentley referred to me as 'lugubrious'. Murray suggested that I decorate in order to __find a bit of joie de vivre__ and bring a little Christmas cheer into my life. I hope my attempt to decorate has, at the very least, brought a smile to your face. Getting to see you every day for a week has put me in __a__ festive mood and I've been lighter on my feet. Merry Christmas… Sly. PS: I'm sorry I left last year. I should have stayed a little longer. Guess I owe you, this year.'_ If anything, it's a strong reminder of how easy it was to evade me _yet again_. But why keep coming back? That raccoon has moxy, coming in here day after day… but it's also a sign of disrespect to keep sneaking in here behind my back. Psht… Merry Christmas_ indeed_." She clicked the 'stop' button then rewound the tape.

Carmelita clicked play and listened to the entire entry. When it reached the end of her monologue, the tape hissed in protest then burst into Christmas Carols. Her eyes widened. Sly, Murray, Bentley and Penelope left a quartet harmony on her tape. They were half-way through 'White Christmas' at this point. After a moment, the song ended and a raccoon rendition of Elvis' 'Blue Christmas' began. She froze, horrified at first. However, her expression changed as she continued to listen. She rubbed her chin with her left paw then whispered, "He's not half bad."

"Thanks. I rehearsed all day to get it right." The masculine voice startled Carmelita Fox. She lifted her head and her eyes widened, facing Cooper. He sat on the floor on the other side of her coffee table. Her jaw dropped and she blinked at him with a blank expression. She blinked again then reached for the pistol she kept on her hip.

"Before you reach for that…" Sly lifted his paws defensively. "It's almost midnight – can't we just have Peace on Earth for _one_ night?" he reasoned. "Please?"

The voice on the tape recorder continued singing. Halfway into the second verse, his voice cracked and went slightly flat. She noted the raccoon winced with embarrassment from where he sat and, for some reason, seeing his reaction amused her. She tilted her head, relaxed her posture and grinned at him. "And this was your best take?" asked the vixen, shaking the tape recorder. "Besides that one little mess up, it's actually pretty good. I used to love _'Blue Christmas'_."

"Have any more of that Eggnog?"

She shook her head slowly. "I haven't made it since last year. I remember you said you liked it that sweet."

Sly's ears perked and he sat up with his back straight. "If I stick around this time, will you make some?" His eyes flitted over her, taking in her stern facial features then he added, "Please?" again.

Carmelita's ears flattened, remembering last year, and her tail fluffed up. "That was a perfectly aged 1987 and I saved it for a _very_ special occasion! You _could_ have just stayed for the full forty-eight hours and appeased me, dammit."

Sly replied with his most honest and sincere expression and tone. "I only came so I could kiss you at Midnight on Christmas morning. What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic deep down inside."

His intense brown eyes caused her to blush beneath her fur. She lowered her gaze to the recorder in her left paw. The soft singing continued. She licked her lips then told him, "Shut up – this is the best part of the song." She wanted to be mean to him but found it difficult for some reason. After the song ended, another carol began to play. She looked up and asked, "What's '_lugubrious_' mean?"

Cooper offered a goofy sort of half-smile. She could tell by his expression that he most likely had to ask Bentley the same thing at some point. The raccoon's right ear flickered. He cleared his throat then told her, "Sad, woeful and, uh …whiney."

"You…? Whiney?" She cocked a brow at him. "Over _me_? I doubt it."

Sly nodded emphatically. "According to the gang, I was. I see how happy Bentley is with Penelope and I remember how happy _we_ were, after we left Kaine Island together… I miss that. Everyone noticed I was moping."

The vulpine inspector lifted her chin and looked away. "The only reason I'm not arresting you _right now_ is because I would have to sedate you in order to keep you detained. It just so happens that I don't have any tranquilizers on me, right now. So, logically, there's no point in cuffing you right now, Houdini. Consider yourself lucky for the moment." She paused then added, "But don't try anything funny, mister. I mean it. What in the world possessed you to come here anyhow?"

"I came to visit and make up for last year." He reached into a satchel and withdrew a wine bottle wrapped in decorative paper. "And to make amends for letting you open that wine prematurely." He glanced over his shoulder at the clock on her VCR then grinned. "Six more minutes left; did you like my gift, last February? I never got the chance to ask you this year… where _did_ the time go – it sure got away from us, didn't it?" His eyes cut back to the VCR again and he told her, "Five more minutes."

"Counting down to midnight is something y'do on New Year's Eve, Ringtail," she said, not yet realizing his intent. "Why? Do you plan on turning yourself in at midnight?"

"You'd really like that, wouldn't you?" Sly reached a paw for her cheek but she turned her chin from left to right to avoid his affectionate touch. "I know I have a lot to make up for."

"Yes, I liked the tape. It, uh… it was a sweet gesture. What's happening at midnight?"

Cooper grinned at her. "Wait and see, my turtledove." He paused then added, "And I think you'll enjoy this upcoming Valentine's Day, too."

"You're too much. Just turn yourself in – that would be a great gift. Something says you have something else in mind but don't try anything funny." She tilted her head and sighed then said, "Where've you been this winter?"

"Just wanted to get some personal and financial affairs in order. This year was a busy year…" He moved around the coffee table and said, "Murray said he thought you would like it if I got you a big flat-screen TV and a Playstation '3' but… you'd have questioned if I stole it or not and would probably work too much to really enjoy it. Something says you were tired of roses and chocolates. And y'know, I was hard pressed to figure out the perfect gift for you – four more minutes."

"You must be in a hurry or something," she retorted, trying not to get silly about his charms. She cleared her throat, keeping a professional tone.

"Oh, you know… I even thought about redoing your bathroom, since you like soaking in the bathtub and such. But I wanted to get you something that'll really remind you of how much I think of you throughout the year." His eyes cut back to the clock. "Almost time."

Carmelita quirked her brow. She glanced at the clock, folded her paws then waited until there was merely one minute remaining. "So, what is this huge surprise? I want to know."

"Let's just say I've arranged my schedule to make you enjoy your holiday that much more." Sly walked over to her Police Scanner and activated it with his left paw while withdrawing a folded pamphlet with his right. "Merry Christmas, Carmelita."

She took the folded page into her paw then her ears perked. She walked to the window and peered out into the evening air. She squinted at first then reached for binoculars. Coming up the block was a red sled with gold-painted trim. It was pulled through the empty street by eight animatronic reindeer with Murray in the back, dressed as Saint Nicholas. Bentley and Penelope were dressed as elves, quickly running from the slow-moving sled to select homes of low-income families. With their trained thieving skills, they opened a window and tossed in small pouches of gold coins, funded from Sly Cooper's vault. Carmelita's eyes widened, watching them.

Sly approached her from behind and placed a paw against the small of her back. "In the third century, _Agios Nikolaos_was a Bishop, who lived in modern-day Turkey. It was a Greek speaking Roman providence back then. But before he became a Bishop, he secretly snuck in through people's windows and put bags of gold into their shoes. That's where the tradition of "stocking stuffing" came from. It all started with a family whose children were about to be sold into slave labor because they were in serious debt. So Saint Nick – before he had a beard, a gut and his famous red Bishop robes – put coins into their shoe one night."

Carmelita kept her eyes on the sled coming up the street in silence. "And how do you know all this, Ringtail?"

"Hey, he's one of my heroes. My childhood heroes were men like Nicholas of Myra and Robin of Loxley."

The vixen snorted. "You really see yourself as Robin Hood, huh? And I'm assuming that Murray Clause is handing out gold coins, down there?"

Sly curled his fingers in, gently scritching his fingertips against the base of her spine. Her tail curled around his ankle. Sly leaned in a bit closer and said, "I had more gold coins in that vault than I knew what to do with, Carmelita. We melted a few of them down into gold squares and circular coins with no printing on either side. Then Bentley hacked in to a government computer that was used to keep statistics on the lower class families."

In the background, a clock on the wall struck midnight. The police scanner chirped, followed by a monotone-worded bulletin. "Seven-four to dispatch – we just received notification that Interpol Agent Inspector Carmelita Fox has placed Sly Cooper of the Cooper Gang into custody. I was looking for verification, Dispatch. Over?"

Carmelita blinked and turned to Cooper. "…What did they just say?" She glanced down at her left paw which was now connected to his right wrist. Her muzzle parted but she couldn't speak.

"I'm turning myself in to finish serving the last twenty-four hours of my sentence from last year. Unit 'Seven-Four' came on shift at midnight and I left a copy of the warrant, the arrest voucher and the paperwork you filled out _last year _but with _this year's_ date on it. I put it on the top of his file folder, so that he would make that announcement at _midnight_. There's just one small problem."

She just gawked at the raccoon, surprised he would give her the one thing he valued more than anything else in the world… his freedom – even if it was only for one night. She tilted her head at his last statement then said, "It's the paperwork from last year, so that means there isn't an available holding cell for you." She blinked twice then added, "So you've not been processed – I can legally detain you for twenty-four hours, but I don't have a jail cell ready."

Sly grinned in spite of his pre-arranged loophole. He lifted his wrist and the handcuffs that attached their paws together. "But _you_ have the lawful right to detain me, as an officer and legal representative of the legal system. That means _you_ are my jail for up to twenty-four hours." He lowered his paw, which caused hers to drop. He smiled again then closed his paw around hers. "But, no matter what the circumstances are, I'm in your legal custody for up to twenty-four hours. Since tomorrow isn't a business day, I doubt the papers will go to processing unless you file them yourself. So, because of this loophole, I'm forced to spend Christmas under incarceration with my arresting officer."

Impressed with his knowledge of the legal system and its loopholes, she closed her paw around his with their forearms linked. She turned back to the window, watching Murray, Bentley and Penelope pass by on the street and continue down the block. As if on cue, or by some divine miracle, soft flakes of snow began to fall from the midnight sky. Carmelita offered a demure smile then said, "C'mon, Ringtail. Let's go make some of that Eggnog you like so much."

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Kit Karamak

December 25th 2007

X


	3. 2008

Chapter -3-  
December 31st 2008

**Carmelita Montoya Fox** stepped into her apartment, placing her keys on a nearby table. With a rolled up page in her left paw, she approached her 'victory wall' and paused to look it over. After a moment, she picked out a spot on the wall and opened the page. It was a photograph of children, most of which looked dirty and hungry. She posted the picture on the wall and stepped back, folding her arms.

"That's what I call fine police work." She picked up a case folder on her sofa and opened it. A photocopy of the Red Notice was on the top page, with a stamp across the front, reading, '_case closed_.'

"Second largest child slave ring spanning between Egypt and Africa… now defunct." She lifted a tape recorder that had been sitting beneath the case file, her thumb on the 'record' button. She continued speaking into it. "And every one of those children were transferred to an orphanage on Christmas Eve. And every single one of those children learned about Christmas on the morning of December twenty-fifth. No Cooper to ruin things – I celebrated." She turned off the voice recorder.

Her eyes moved to the floor. Okay, for the first time in three years, she'd not seen Sly Cooper on Christmas Day. Actually, now that her mind was wondering, she recalled that Christmas last year wasn't so bad… She'd spent the day handcuffed to the ring-tailed raccoon and got him slightly drunk on eggnog.

The Inspector reached for the gun on her belt, a Valentine's Day gift from Sly, last year. She withdrew it from the holster and placed it neatly inside of a weapon safe near her television. After that, she walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. She'd not been home in a few days and everything remained right where she left it before her trip east.

She still had a few hours before New Years and opened her fridge. No champagne. "Oh, for heaven's sake, you can't have New Years without champagne." She removed a carafe of sweetened eggnog, poured a glass and sprinkled nutmeg over the top. She sipped from the glass, cupping her right palm beneath. "Not even a Christmas Card," she mused, surprised that Sly hadn't left her any 'proof' of trespassing, this year.

She pondered going to his place and surprising him for New Years but the streets of Paris were beginning to fill up for upcoming evening festivities. Carrying the drink out to her back deck, she moved out into the cool evening air and watched the Eiffel Tower in the distance. "Funny, I'm actually off work this year… And you're not even around, this time." The ambient sound of a living city was her reply. Horns in the distance, the breeze that toyed with her bangs and other simple noises filled the air. "I half-expected you to be here and answer my question, again." Once more, no reply.

"C'est la vie," she muttered, finishing the contents of her cup. "I'm ringing in the New Year el solo mio, once again." A sigh escaped the vixen's soft lips. Her eyes lowered to the street, beneath her. "Tevet, fifty-seven sixty-nine, Dhu'l-Hijjah fourteen twenty-nine, January first, twenty-five fifty-two BE, January first, two thousand _nine_." She glanced at her wristwatch and frowned thoughtfully. "Well, it's about to be, anyhow."

Carmelita Fox walked back into her apartment and turned on the Police Scanner. Most of the chatter came from local officers making arrangements for Paris to bring in the New Year safely. She glanced at her watch again and slumped into the sofa in her living room. There was nothing from the raccoon thief. She was beginning to lose hope and patience.

She recalled back to last February, when she cuffed him in the silly looking jewel-encrusted handcuffs then followed him around town with her new Shock Pistol. It brought a slight smile to her face but it only lasted a moment or two. "I can't believe I actually _miss_ him! I'll be damned if I show up at _his_ place again." She received no reply. "Fine, then." The vixen slumped back into her sofa. She expected Cooper to magically show up at any moment but it simply wasn't happening. "And what party are you attending this evening? A sign of change in the air, Cooper? Maybe you've finally gotten over me and stopped acting like an idiot – what thief falls for his arresting officer?" No rebuttal – the police scanner continued its random prattle in the background.

Christmas didn't feel right without him around, this year. She took a deep breath and walked into her bedroom. Carmelita Fox disrobed and lay her clothes across the bed. She walked to her closet, flitting her tail from left to right from all the pent up energy in her body. She wasn't sure if he was in the room or watching her from afar, somehow but it wouldn't have been the first time. She selected an evening gown with a fancy cut that would display a bit of leg then she took it to her dresser.

From the dresser, she hunted down a black bra, which matched the gown, and a matching pair of panties with a little lace for good measure. "I'll be _damned_ if I go over there and don't look amazing." She continued mumbling low, while getting accessories from a nearby jewelry box. "His jaw is going to hit the _floor_ when he sees me. This will be one New Years Eve he'll never forget…"

* * *

_meanwhile…_

**Sly Cooper paced in his bedroom**, looking at the various clothes, outfits, costumes, disguises and uniforms in his closet. "I swear," he murmured to himself, "I don't know if she'll even be there. She never even came home for Christmas; it's like she's avoiding me, this year."

He delved deeper into the walk-in closet until he came to an old armoire at the back. It was sealed with a simple combination lock but there was no combination and, after a few turns of the dial, he realized that the tumblers were rusted and useless. The shackle was coated in the red textured corrosion, making it nothing more than a useless nuisance.

Cooper stepped out of the closet, snatched the cane in the corner by his dresser then sprinted back into the closet, cane elevated at a slight angle. He drove the tip into the lock with all his might, causing the rusty shackle to shatter. The lock fell to the floor with a thud, a pressurized hiss caused his ears to perk and the weather-sealed box creaked ajar.

At the bottom of the armoire, there were two jars with honeycombs inside and an unlabeled fluid. Between them was a box of old cologne bottles, their contents mostly evaporated. From a bar across the top hung several brilliantly designed outfits from Thaddeus Winslow Cooper _Senior_.

Sly lifted one of the beeswax jars and opened the top. Freshly preserved cologne wafted through the closet and out into his bedroom. He began rummaging through the wonderfully assorted and expensively tailored outfits, one by one. Minutes later, his bedroom door opened.

Penelope stuck her head into the room and inhaled deeply. "It's coming from Sly's room!" she announced to the rest of the household. "Whatever it is, it's _amazing_."

"Give me a moment," Sly called from his closet.

"Oh!" She quickly pulled her head from the bedroom door and said, "I didn't realize you were even home – I thought you were out… Sorry! Bentley and I are leaving and wont' be home until late! Whatever you have in there is… wow. It's like nothing I've ever… it must be expensive!"

"Something like that," said Sly. He waited until she closed his bedroom door then emerged from the closet with a particularly dashing set of clothes on an old hanger. It had a very light hint of cologne smell from what had evaporated in the bottles at the bottom. He removed the clothes from their hanger and placed them on his bed then went back into the closet for the beeswax jar.

He opened the lid again. The aroma was akin to the awesome power of opening the Ark of the Covenant. It was like nothing imaginable. Cooper dipped a fingertip into the well-preserved liquid and dabbed it at the base of his neckline then behind each ear. He closed the lid and put it back into the armoire. His left ear perked, hearing Penelope's voice out in the hallway.

The muffled feminine tones were still loud enough to hear what she was saying. "Geeze… Do you smell that, Bentley? Whatever it is, you'd better not wear it unless you plan on spending the afternoon in our bedroom."

Sly glanced at a mirror on his wall and grinned inwardly. "Carmelita won't be able to resist me, wearing this," he whispered to himself and put on a t-shirt. Next, he reached for the top portion of the outfit on his bed. He took a moment to ogle it. "Nice threads, old man. You had some _serious_ style, pal." He held the garment up to his chest and turned back to the mirror. "Guys may not have sex appeal, but I'll be darned if her jaw doesn't drop when she sees me wearing _this_." He portrayed his most confident grin to the mirror and waggled his eyebrows playfully. "Oh yeah, she won't be able to resist me – I won't _let_ her avoid me _this_ year."

* * *

_half an hour later…_

**The window to Sly's bedroom opened in silence** on the well-oiled hinges. She let herself into the bedroom and looked around. Something smelled divine, to the point of making her salivate. Her eyes cut from left to right noting his closet door was wide open. Cooper's bed was made but not very well. The wrinkled comforter tossed over the mattress was disheveled and un-tucked on the corners.

Inspector Fox opened his bedroom door and began rummaging through the empty household. She clinched her jaw and balled her paws into fists. "He's not even _here_? I came all this way to find him and he's not home? Oh, when I find that boy, I'm going to make his life absolute _hell_." She glanced at her watch and sighed. "Dammit, all dressed up and nowhere to go."

She walked back into his room and sat down on the edge of his bed. Carmelita grabbed one of the pillows from his bed and brought it to her nose, inhaling his scent. It was a strong, masculine smell and immediately brought about a mental image of him. Her shoulders slumped and she found herself staring a hole into the floor. "If I have to spend New Years Eve home, alone, looking _this good_, tonight… So help me, Sly Cooper, you'll be in _so_ much trouble.

She tossed the pillow back to the other end of the bed, stood up and left through his window like he'd done so many times in the past. In the distance, she could see a thumb-sized Eiffel Tower, absolutely glowing with festive lights. "You'd better not be pulling a heist tonight, while everyone is distracted by the holiday." She dropped down to the grass; her heels sank into the soil. Carmelita grumbled and carefully lifted her feet so as not to break the back of her shoes. "You're running out of time to make tonight a _good_ night," she said in a half defeated tone of voice.

She began walking back towards home, keeping to the sidewalks to avoid the throng of people crowding the streets of Paris, awaiting the Ball Drop and other festivities. She passed couples holding hands, snuggling close for warmth in the chilly winter air. She cut her eyes away in disdain. "I could never ask for that sort of thing from you _anyhow_, Cooper. It's more than you could ever give me. God forbid I want to hold someone's hand or have someone draw me into their jacket when it's cold. …Stupid crook."

She soon came to the intersection that led to her house. Looking up the block, she could now see the Eiffel Tower in its full glory, shining like a bright beacon in the evening sky. "Okay, Saint _whoever_… Nick, Valentine, _somebody_. Prove yourself now or forever hold your peace." She turned away from the dazzling tower to walk home then paused, glancing back over her shoulder at it. "Y'know what? Why _should_ I spend the night at home, alone? I'm dressed to kill and I won't let him steal my thunder, tonight." She glanced at her watch again and turned back towards the elegant structure. She tried holding her head up high, back straight and chest puffed out but it was difficult to live up to the façade.

Several blocks down the road, her posture changed. Her shoulders slumped and her tail drooped. Her eyes dropped to the sidewalk, considering her alternative options. Finally, Carmelita turned back towards her house and sighed. She cast one last glance back at the gleaming Eiffel Tower then began trudging home with a scowl on her muzzle.

Burning a metaphorical hole into the sidewalk, she was feeling sorry for herself. The vixen passed through the crowded intersection, staying to the far side to avoid the slew of pedestrians. Quite suddenly, she collided with a bystander. Carmelita clinched her fists and lifted her head, teeth bared, sneering. "Watch where you're going, you stupid…" Her eyes started at the man's shiny shoes, raking up along his tailored dress slacks and handsome attire when, quite suddenly, she smelled something familiar. It was a rich, elegant aroma…

Her eyes widened, seeing a dejected looking Sly Cooper standing before her. As soon as he made eye contact with her, his eyes widened. They sparkled with the reflection of the Eiffel Tower, behind her and his surprised expression caused her to melt inside. "I… Where did you…?"

"You weren't home," he said, reaching to pat down the wrinkled fabric of her gown from their collision. "I didn't see you there, I was kinda' staring at the ground – I thought you were avoiding me."

"Avoiding _you_?" she asked incredulously. "I've chased you for _how many years_ now? Why would _I_ avoid _you_?" She paused, looking him over again, then came to the realization that the scent she detected was the same one she smelled back in his bedroom. It was a heavenly scent and enthralled her senses. "You, uh," she swallowed a bit then asked, "Went to my house, just now?"

"Yeah," he said, placing a paw behind his neck, pushing the toe of his dress shoe into the ground as if he were stubbing out a cigarette. "You weren't there for Christmas and no one was home tonight, either."

He was so cute, looking vulnerable and melancholy. "Why… did you, uh, miss me or something?"

"Something like that," he replied with a slight grin. "I thought I'd missed you again, tonight. I was going to walk home and watch the Ball Drop on television."

"Is that so?" she half hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "I mean, we're both out here and dressed up – it's not a far walk, if you'd rather avoid the commercials and the stupid announcer's chatter, this year."

"One night truce, then?" He offered his right paw.

She lifted her left one to him, hesitantly. "I… suppose." Sly captured her paw, causing her to gasp softly. Finally, she cleared her throat to try and take control of the situation. "I left my cuffs at home, by accident. You, uh… you smell nice, Sly."

"Thanks," he replied in a soft, endearing tone. "You look _incredible_ tonight, Carmelita." He took off his fancy dress jacket and put it around her shoulders then came into step besides her, leading the woman back towards the shining beacon at the center of the New Years celebration. "Do you hear that?"

"W-what?"

As they walked back towards the elegantly decorated structure, Sly leaned in close and whispered into her ear. "I hear tango music."

She quickly glanced away, so as not to let him see her blush. "I hear _nothing_. You're making that up." But as she strained her ears, she could hear the slight beat of music over the ambiance of the people walking through the streets.

Sly took her paws into his and stepped in front of her, again making her gasp in surprise. She quickly came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk and glared at him with confusion in her eyes. "What… are you doing?"

Cooper lifted her paws up and stepped forward, causing her to step backwards, slowly, then he shifted a bit and pivoted. She moved in cadence, so as not to stumble in her heels and tilted her head, looking up into his eyes. "Sly, I…"

"Shh," he whispered, falling into step with the distant beat of the music. "Anywhere is a good place to dance with you." He drew her flush, chest to chest and began to turn with her. "I'm sorry I doubted you," he confided in a tender tone, meant only for her ears.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, too," she murmured, not sure what to make of all this. But then she realized that she _could_ hear music, playing in the distance. It was reminiscent of Rajan's party, all those years ago. The skillful dancer moved with him, steady and confident… everything else faded away, until there was nothing but them and the distant beat of The Tango.

* * *

A/N: _Sorry I was so busy around Christmas, but I thought I would surprise you guys with a New Years update! See you guys again on February 14__th__! HAPPY NEW YEARS! Hugs to you all! I've missed you guys! Good GRIEF, it was HARD to come up with something for this year's chapter! I swear, I didn't actually think of anything at all... So, on the ride from Baltimore to Richmond, I wrote this chapter, as is, in the back of a van full of friends, squished into the corner, surrounded by boxes of booze, bags, blankets and buddies. Somehow, in the second half of the two hour trip, I quickly rushed this piece out, as is. I hope it's okay! :D_

_Merry Christmas and HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!  
_


	4. 2009

"T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house…  
Not a creature was stirring, except for one mouse.

His tail was long, with a curl at the end…  
His fur was all dirty, his eyes sunken in.

His paws they did tremble from nerves and delight,  
His heart was pounding from worry and fright.

He picked up a box from under the tree,  
Inside was a locket; its sparkle - Très Magnifique!

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
He sprang to the window to see what was the matter.

Away to the window he flew with a flash,  
He reached for the drapes and pulled at the sash.

The moon on the breast of the snow all around,  
It sparkled like diamonds on the suburban ground.

From the noise on the rooftop, his heart beat so quick,  
He gazed to the hearth and saw an armed chick.

The stockings were hung by that chimney with care,  
The vixen's large gun, red and gold, came to bear.

"Please, don't shoot me! I'm only a kid!"  
"Lay down on the ground with your hands on your head."

Out in the front, his team gave a whistle,  
They sprang to their van as quick as a missile.

But out in the street, their van did not start…  
The hood was ajar, with three missing parts.

The battery lay alone, out in the snow,  
The sparkplugs were gone, they had nowhere to go.

And so it was, on this Christmas Night…  
The bad guys were caught, all wrongs were made right."

Carmelita Fox lifted her eyes from the poem written in blue ink. She recognized the handwriting. She'd wondered who disabled the getaway van and smiled inwardly, knowing who had come to back her up. She cut her gaze over the juvenile mouse in the nearby holding cell and tilted her head at him. "You're part of the largest child-crime syndication in all of France. Those puppeteers have no right forcing children to steal for them. All I need is for you to testify against them."

He frowned, looking up from the wooden bench. "We're brothers. Not by blood but… it would be dishonorable, Inspector. Do you know who disabled their getaway van?"

Fox's eyes narrowed a bit then a sly little grin tugged at the corner of her muzzle. "Probably the same guy who wrote this silly poem." She lifted the paper and waved it at him. "I know your story. You're only fourteen years old. If you testify against the people who make you and your friends steal… we could put them away forever and they wouldn't force you boys into this anymore. It's Christmas Eve. It's their fault you're spending it in jail. Why don't you start by telling me where you live?"

"I live on a floor in a warehouse with dirty curtains for walls. You wouldn't understand, lady."

"I understand that you boys are being _forced_ to steal for a crime syndicate. No child should have to endure such a thing."

"You know what? You're just a cop. You wouldn't understand what it is to barely scrape by, to beg for meals and to live dollar to dollar. I take what I need in order to survive. The people I steal from have more than enough. I won't help you because I don't respect you."

A new voice caused both the mouse and the vixen to look up. His smooth, relaxed tone was calm and pleasant. "There _is_ a better way and you could have a much better living if you listened to the Inspector's advice." Sly Cooper walked into the holding area, paws in his pockets. "And if you won't listen to her because she's a cop, then listen to me… because I'm not."

The mouse's eyes widened. "I… You're… You're Sly Cooper. You're the greatest thief in France… maybe even the world."

Carmelita glared at the raccoon then rolled her eyes. "Don't inflate his ego, kiddo." She turned back to the mouse and added, "But he's right… you'd have a better life if you made an honest living."

The boy stood up and approached the bars. "I'm fourteen! I don't go to school and I'm too young for a job! Tell me how I'm supposed to eat if I don't steal!"

Sly lifted a paw to Carmelita and approached the bars. "I'm sorry to say that change is in the wind, bud. The syndicate that owned the cold, dirty warehouse you called home… they've packed up and moved on. Carmelita's people think they know where these guys went… but we would need you to point them out in a lineup and testify to be sure."

"I'm not doing it." The boy sat back down on the wooden bench. "They gave us a roof over our heads, no matter how cold or dirty it was. No one else has ever given me _anything_."

"So, you know who I am," said Sly. He approached the bars and leaned against them. "Did you also know I'm an orphan? Nowhere to go, no parents… no warm house. I had nothing. In fact, the entire Cooper Gang is comprised of orphans."

"No orphanage would take us. Nobody would want my friends or me. We're dirty outcasts. No body wants us; that's why we stole for the syndicate. But I'll never rat them out. Just lock me up and throw away the key."

Carmelita sighed. "You'd be willing to let them get away after all they've done to you? Why?"

"Jail is warm and clean and I can eat three times a day _every_ day. Send me to a juvenile detention center." He paused and glared at the vixen. "Oh, wait, you _can't_. I have no citizenship records, no birth certificate, no proof of legal residence. The state doesn't recognize me. I'm a nobody. I'm a reject. Orphanages don't take mysterious babies off the street like they used to… and they _certainly_ won't take me or my friends without proof that we're citizens. No paperwork so it's not their problem. So I live on the streets. The government won't spend the money to give us an identity. That's how this society works. You're either legit or you're _trash_."

She opened her mouth to say something but Sly reached back, gesturing her with a paw. The raccoon turned towards the bars with a soft smile. "There are a dozen of you boys… you've been stealing from people's homes every day for over a year. That's very bold and very dangerous. Are you proud of your work?"

The mouse's eyes lowered to the floor. "I do what I do out of necessity. My survival is more important than the… the _creature comforts_ of the _rich_. It's criminals who provided a roof over our heads, not the upstanding law abiding people of this world. It's criminals who opened their hearts and their wallets and gave me and mine a place to live."

"They were using you," said Sly. "Did they let you _keep_ everything you stole? Did you personally take it to the pawn shop and pocket the money?"

"I'm not eighteen! They took care of turning the product into money."

Cooper grinned. "And then… what? Did they give you that money?"

"…No. They… used it to pay the lot rent so we'd have that warehouse."

Sly turned back to Carmelita and gestured for her to open the cell. Reluctantly, she did. Sly stepped in and sat down on the bench besides the boy. "Listen, bud, those guys made so much money off of you and your friends… they could have bought you each your own apartment, sent you to private school _and_ installed central heating in that warehouse. Yet you boys lived day to day, low on food, with no money, freezing in the winter time."

Inspector Fox fidgeted. "You know, I could lock you in there with him."

Sly lifted his head with a grin. "But you know as well as Santa Clause… I've been on the Good List this year." He cut his gaze back to the boy and said, "It costs money to have paperwork drawn up to establish an identity. Do you want to be someone? Fine. If you could go to an orphanage, would you?"

"Of course," said the boy. His tail curled up and he picked at a dirty spot on his pants, above his right knee. "Free food, schooling and a warm bed with blankets? Who doesn't want that? But they won't take me."

"Shh," Sly put his arm around the kid and said, "We have a lot in common, you and I. We both had a hard time with a sour lot in life. Did you know I've never stolen a single thing that wasn't already stolen? That's right. I only take from other criminals. I refuse to steal from the innocent. They've worked hard for what they have in life so they should be allowed to keep it. I only go after the cheats and the troublemakers. They make a choice in life, and I choose to target them. But I also have a clean streak. I've not stolen in over a year."

Carmelita smirked. "But if you have, I'll eventually find out, Ringtail."

Sly nodded in agreement. "Yes, she's right bud. She'll eventually find out. She always does. What if I told you that I could help you and your friends get into a real orphanage? In fact, I know just the one."

"Yeah? What's in it for you?"

Sly shook his head. "Nothing at all. There's just one stipulation… you can't have a criminal record. However, Carmelita has the ability to absolve your criminal background. She can give you what the legal system calls… immunity. If you testify against the syndicate, she'll make sure you don't get a criminal record. And, without the criminal background, I can get you into the _**Happy Camper Orphanage**_, where I lived when I was your age."

"You would do that for me? Why?"

Sly shrugged and stood up. He approached the cell door and said, "Because it's the holiday season. It's _Christmas_! 'Tis the spirit of giving. Show me you deserve a good home and I'll make sure you get it." He lifted his gaze to Carmelita and said, "This facility is low staffed and there are a good number of you boys to feed. I think it's time I help Carmelita in the back. I brought a few things to make a nice Christmas Dinner." He took her by the paw and led her into the kitchen. True to his word, there was a great deal of food put out and ready.

"I…" Carmelita blinked at it all. "I thought you said you were going to help me in the back? You didn't mean help making it? This food is all ready to serve."

"Yes, yes it is. But I can't bring it all out by myself. Look, there's a silver platter over there." He pointed to it then guided her over to it. Directly above them mistletoe hung from a light fixture with care. She froze then looked at him. Sly offered her a grin. "I know I messed it up the first time I pulled that out on you… what? Four years ago? (A/N: _Chapter 1 of this story_) I want to make it up to you. I promise I won't run tonight."

Carmelita reached up and snatched the mistletoe from the string then glared at him. "Real funny. I bet you just think you're living up to your name again. Uh huh. Go on thinking that. You know, a kiss from you isn't that much of a Christmas Gift, mister Cooper. I won't cry tomorrow if I didn't get one."

Sly met her eyes. "I understand that. And I would never steal a kiss from you, even though _that_ is the _one thing_ on my Christmas Wish List this year. It's pretty much all I've thought about since last Valentine's Day. And to be honest, I probably _would_ cry if I didn't get a Christmas kiss from you."

Carmelita continued to glare at him. She looked away, gazing over all the food laid out. Steam rose off of the feast and, on a table by the wall, there was a bottle of wine… the same brand and the same year that Carmelita had brought out just four years ago. There was a red bow on the side of the bottle. She drew her lip between her teeth. "I got that brand… and that year… and I opened it the day I caught you. But I had to drink it all alone that night, four years ago."

"I might not be behind bars," said Cooper, "But you definitely caught me, Inspector Fox. And if you let me, it would be an honor to share a drink with you tonight. I was thinking for New Years, we could go somewhere quiet and alone this time around."

"Oh what the hell," she said, lifting the mistletoe above his head. Sly brightened and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips firmly against her own. She leaned up into it. The mistletoe was forgotten and she draped her arms around his neck. A clock in a nearby office chimed midnight… Christmas Morning.

* * *

A/N: _Merry Christmas, everybody! I thought I'd end on a romantic note this time! See you again on Valentine's Day with "Sly Cupid"! _

_-Kit Karamak _

_Friday, December 25__th__ 2009 _


	5. 2010

A/N: _WHO HERE DOES **NOT** OWN the Sly Cooper trilogy for the PS2? If you live in DVD REGION 1 CODING, (United States or Canada) and do NOT have ANY of the three games... but you read the Sly stories... PM me. I will mail you the trilogy as a Christmas gift. Yes, I know it will arrive AFTER Christmas, but... c'mon! Christmas is all about giving!_

* * *

December 24th, 2010

**Carmelita Fox** looked up from her desk. Her office door was open, watching her coworkers mingle and frolic at the Christmas Party. She smirked inwardly. The party didn't look in the least bit fun to her. For the last four days, local crime had been nearly nonexistent in a way that could only be described as 'too quiet'.

She lifted the Red List report from her desk, displayed on one of those fancy new tablet computers. Carmelita ran her thumb along the capacitive glass surface from bottom to top. The display moved upwards, allowing her to scroll down the list. It was rare that she had nothing to do; she didn't want to go out to the party because she didn't have a date.

A reflection in the glass of the tablet caught her eye. She glanced over her shoulder then gasped, seeing Sly Cooper on the other side of her window. She looked back towards her open door then hurried over and closed it. She locked her office then went back to the window, opening it. "Sly," she hissed softly, "What are you doing _here_? Are you out of your mind?"

"I figured you wouldn't be busy," he said with a grin. "Crime in Paris is almost nonexistent over the last few days, after all."

She narrowed her gaze. "How would you know? Y'know, it's against the law to be a vigilante."

He held a paw behind his back, crossing his fingers beyond her line of sight. "I've been good this year, Carmelita. That's two years in a row. I don't have any outstanding warrants. I'm an upstanding citizen tonight." Halfway into the window he paused and looked up. His expression brightened, seeing mistletoe hanging above his head. "Knew I was going to come through the window this year?"

"You've tricked me into a Christmas kiss every year for ages, now. I'm not about to let _you_ be in charge, here. This year _I_ am leading this dance."

"Why does it have to be a holiday tradition?" he asked.

Carmelita secretly felt her heart race, worried he would stop coming by on Christmas and Valentine's Day. "Wh…well, what do you mean?"

Sly reached for the small green plant with the little berry nestled between the leaves. "Just one berry?"

"Don't you know, Sly? Young men have the privilege of kissing a girl beneath mistletoe but you have to pluck a berry from it each time it happens. When all the berries are gone, the privilege ceases, my dear Mr. Cooper. There's _one_ berry. You get _one_ kiss."

He grinned. "You really _are_ in control this year."

"Exactly." She reached her paws up, captured either side of his muzzle and kissed him firmly. It wasn't just any kiss… it was one that caused his toes to curl, his eyes to clench shut and his tail to fluff up. Satisfied that she'd done a good job, she reached for the mistletoe now in his paw and plucked the single berry. She leaned back with a devious smile and said, "Now you can go."

Sly eased the rest of the way to the floor and placed the rest of the mistletoe on her desk. "I'm dressed nicely tonight so I can take you to a Christmas Party. That was a very nice way to greet your date this evening."

She scrunched up her nose and pursed her lips, snorting in disdain. "Is that so…"

"I'm impressed by your knowledge of mistletoe, by the way. Did you know it was the unofficial state flower of Oklahoma in the United States until 2004?"

"Did _you_ know that we live in _Paris, France_?" She was trying to keep the subject from reverting to him becoming her party date.

Her efforts were futile. "Inspector Fox, we're playing a game. Life is a game and it's time we move on to the sequel. Let's talk about _us_." Bold words for a villain; his confidence and calm voice caught her off guard. She froze, looking at him in silence for a moment. Sly smiled at her and added, "Maybe I should come and see you more often. Y'know, I love the holiday visits but… I miss you on the days in between. I used to commit crimes _just_ so I could see you more often. But I've been good like you asked. Now I don't see you nearly as much. I figure you'd prefer that I stay on the _up'n'up_ so… I'm asking the legal way… Do you mind if I start coming by to visit you?"

"I… I don't know if that's a good idea. I'm usually quite busy at work. It's just a dry spell this week but… typically I can't be bothered at work. I'm a professional career woman."

Sly turned and closed the window. He was wearing a nice dress jacket with coattails in the back that lined either side of his bushy raccoon tail. He latched the window and turned back to face her. "I can always visit you at _your_ place." Then he changed the direction of the conversation. "We've had a lot of fun in the past few years. Remember when we missed one another and crossed paths by accident in public two years ago?"

She nodded quietly. "I do." Carmelita wondered where he was going with this, however it was a fond memory. She remembered worrying that she wouldn't see him and she remembered being upset about it. She also recalled he felt the same way; it was nice to see him vulnerable.

"I don't want us to become distant," he told her. "I want to see you more often. Simple as that. I want to start by taking you on a nice date to a nice Christmas Party." He perked his ears and smiled. "Why, it sounds like there's some sort of party going on right now, just beyond that pretty red door of yours."

Still suspicious, she eyed him for a moment. "Maybe…"

"Maybe there's a party? Or maybe you want me to see you more often?" He tilted his head, watching her fight the urge to smile, staying silent. He saw a twitch at the corner of her mouth. "Oh… I see… it's like that, huh?" He grinned instead. Sly offered his paw to her, palm up. "May I?"

She eyed his palm, wanting desperately to reach for it. "…Why should I?" She had to play hard to get. At this point, she already made up her mind but she had to make sure he was going to be a good sport, first. "You give me _one_ good reason to even _entertain the thought_ of your offer, mister."

"_Mister_, huh?" He glanced at a wall clock then said, "I've been here for barely five minutes," paused then snatched her paw and guided it to his chest. She could feel his heart pounding through the dress jacket, button-up shirt and undershirt. "Feel that?"

The vixen couldn't be sure why his heart was racing but something seemed genuine about it. "Nervous to be in a police department?"

Sly's grinned brightened. "I've been here plenty of times before. It only beats faster when we're _this_ close."

Dry throat. Carmelita immediately looked away to hide her expression from him. She licked her lips and feigned a dainty sounding cough. "So the mistletoe worked, huh?"

"It helped, yes. Now I have all this pent-up energy. Would you care to dance?"

"Out there with all my coworkers?"

"It's okay if you're ashamed of me," Sly said with an almost dejected-sounding chuckle. "I know you have an image to uphold and whatnot."

Again, he was showing a vulnerable side of himself; it didn't happen nearly often enough. It was adorable. "Sly, no, I didn't mean it to sound like that. It's just a bunch of people making a bunch of noise out there. And… I'm not sure about a dance; I don't think anyone else is dancing. They're just talking and gossiping and eating a bunch of food."

Sly took her right paw in his left, interlacing their fingers. He placed his right palm against the small of her back, bringing her flush to his chest, almost nose to nose. She lowered her face until her forehead met his cheek, then he began to move with her in rhythmic cadence much to her surprise. He moved around her desk to the center of her office. On the sixteenth step, he pulled her forward, with his palm moving up her back to her shoulder.

Carmelita, a lover of dance, fell into position. Sly swayed back with his legs stretched forward and his hip thrust back. She fell into him with her left leg extended, the pointed toe of her shoe dragging the floor. Her right knee was between his legs and her torso was flush against his hip with her right hand elevated, captured in his left. Her hair cascaded back, covering his right palm that was on her shoulder blade.

She spoke softly into his collarbone. "The Argentine tango? Where did you learn…?"

"The streets of San Telmo in Buenos Aires." His tie swayed forward with the movement of their bodies – it was _different_, doing a tango to the modern Christmas music that played on a stereo outside of her office. Sly walked with his dance partner to the music. His body language did well to transmit the feeling of the music to Carmelita. Their feet remained close to the floorboards as they moved, with his ankles and knees brushing as his leg passed hers in the improvised pattern of steps. With his strong arms, he brought her close again, chest to chest. He could feel her warm breath against his neckline. "Isn't this one of your favorites?"

"I… yes," she murmured. "I thought you practiced only the _one style_ for the party at Rajan's palace."

Sly began walking her backwards and whispered into her ear. "Caminata," he said. He walked with her, keeping his legs on the outside of hers, so that her knees remained mostly between his. It was more traditional and classy, unlike the American version of the tango. Then he brought her close again, in a relaxed hug. "Abrazo," he added, causing her ear to flicker from the warmth of his breath. He moved into a six-step figure, moving and leading back, to the side, then forward twice, with another side step then he drew her to him so that they were back together. "Baldosa," he whispered. They came back to a starting pattern. "Salida."

She eased her head back and grinned brightly. "Oh you're _good_. I'm honestly impressed." And before she could utter another word, Sly pulled her close again, sweeping her forward from her feet and holding her close as the tips of her toes were drawn across the floor. She half cursed that he was in control again, just like every other year. But at the same time, it felt strangely liberating to be led by such a fantastic dancer. "Dios mio," she said with a churr at the back of her throat. Carmelita fought the urge to swoon at the way he controlled her every step. Now _her_ heart was pounding.

"Barrida," he said, sweeping her foot, displacing it along the floor.

"Arrastre," she replied, as if correcting him; the words were synonymous with one another and she knew it. Then she lifted her leg and hooked it around behind his in a sensual way and murred the word, "Gancho." She lifted her leg upwards to tease him, then she lowered it again, rubbing her thigh down along his hip. "Caricias," she added.

Sly began a powerful lean, whispering the word, "Volcadas," to her. He moved with firm footing, dragging the vixen's feet across the floor, to let her know that _he was_ in charge of this dance.

She was astonished by his advanced technique. She leaned outward as he guided her into a partnered spin. "Colgadas," she said upon being leaned back up from the maneuver. They came chest to chest again; face to face. Without warning, Sly pressed her up against the front of her safe, on the sidewall, and kissed her the way she'd kissed him earlier. It took her breath away.

He had her so wrapped up in the kiss, she had no idea that he opened the safe with his other paw and shoveled in a single red rose. Until now it was hidden inside his blazer. The safe shut with a click but he turned her away from it and stomped his foot down to mask the sound. He then reached for her arm and conducted a twirl. Her body rolled up his wrist, into his embrace so that she finished the twirl with her arms together over her bosom, nose to nose with him, then he quickly placed a paw at the small of her back and dipped her. Sly opened his stance, leaned forward and held her suspended in the dip so that he could nip at her neck just to tease.

He knew she'd check the safe later to make sure he'd not stolen anything and _that_ is when she would eventually find the rose. But, for now, he held her aloft, her legs together, between his ankles; she looked up at him with a trembling lower lip. Her heart was pounding furiously and she was filled with so much energy she didn't know how to react. "Y…you're quite good."

"I'll make you love me one day," he said.

Carmelita blinked. "Pardon?"

A smile illuminated the gentleman's face. "Shh, nothing. It's not important _now_. Just know I want to spend Christmas with you. Just us." He stood up, straight, gracefully bringing her back to her feet. She almost stumbled but he still had her in an embrace. She regained her footing and shuddered in the most delicious way. "Sly… I'm… not sure what you mean. Christmas is in just a few hours. Staying at my place?"

"If you feel it's not appropriate…"

She shook her head rapidly. "No, no, Sly… I mean… it's not even decorated."

Cooper grinned again. "Yes it is." He paused for effect then flitted his eyes from hers to the door. "I think we should attend the party together."

She looked down at her outfit and shook her head. "Sly… I'm not even dressed for the occasion. Look at you – you're in a dress jacket, ironed slacks… you've really cleaned up. I'm dressed for work, for goodness sakes."

"Not a problem." His nonchalant demeanor made her suspicious again. She watched as Sly walked back to the window, unlatched and opened it, then reached outside. He drew in a red and white party outfit. "How about you go as Mrs. Claus?" There was a 'Santa' hat attached, along with a cute top and red skirt with white fluff at the bottom. The outfit even included stockings and boots.

She offered a blank expression for a moment. It was a little too 'sexy' to wear at work. Then again it _was_ a Christmas party _and_ the outfit was _so_ cute. She licked her lips, looking somewhat nervous. "I… I don't know if I should…"

"I'm going to be blunt, here. Carmelita, you have the body for it. It's one night and will only last a few hours. C'mon… you're a knockout. Go out there and be the bombshell that every other woman in the precinct _wishes_ they could be. Besides… it's _Christmas. _You've been good _all year_. One little night of being naughty won't hurt anything."

She lifted her paw, reluctantly at first, and reached for the outfit, connected together by a series of layered hangers. The vixen drew her lower lip between her teeth for a moment then, with her free paw, she pointed to the bookshelf opposite of the safe. "Stand over there… and _no peeking_. I mean it!"

"You won't regret this," he said in a delighted tone, standing over by the bookshelf, facing the wall.

She moved back towards her desk and laid out the outfit, checking the tag inside the collar. It was exactly her size. "I'd better _not_ regret this." She glanced back at the red door, seeing that the knob was still locked. A secret smile formed on her muzzle. Maybe this party would be fun after all.

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**A/N: **_IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE! AWESOME! So! Sly wants to start seeing her more often! I wonder how that will affect the upcoming Sly Cupid Valentine's Day short story, huh? So… how about some fan art of Carmelita in a sexy Santa outfit and skirt? Maybe something of her nibbling on a candy cane in a coquettish way? To all you guy readers… Here's to hoping there will be a vixen waiting to be unwrapped beneath the tree this year! And for all you ladies that read my holiday stories… Here's to hoping we see you vixens under our trees this year! xD _

_MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! Happy Holidays for the rest of you! _

_LESS THAN THREE! (heart symbol) _


	6. 2011

A/N: I've decided to make this year a simple, short chapter for the sake of hopeless romantics everywhere. If you're reading the holiday updates, A Cooper Christmas and Sly Cupid consistently, in order by year... then you'll remember that last February, our characters decided to take things to the next level and romance ensued. We leave off after several months of them dating...

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**2011**

December 25th, 2011

**"What is it?"** Her eyes lifted and a coy grin tugged at the corner of the vixen's lips. Rose-painted petals of scarlet broadened into a Cheshire smile. "The box is awfully large."

Sly Cooper sat on the sofa, wearing Sony Playstation pajama pants. "C'mon, I'm not gunna' tell you before opening it up. Go on."

She offered him a dubious grin then tore at the wrapping paper. Beneath was another layer of different colored wrapping paper, shiny and covered with silver snowflake pictures. She used her claws to create a rip in that layer then tore it open, creating a large mess on the carpet around her. The vixen, sitting in front of the coffee table, turned the object over and tore the paper from the ends then grinned and stood it upright. Sounds of shifting objects came from within. "A jewelry box, huh?" She pursed her lips together then smirked. "Are you trying to appeal to my effeminate side?"

She rid the front end of any remaining wrap then opened the top drawer only to find more small presents within, wrapped carefully. She opened the second drawer. Two more small presents were within. "I take it these are jewelry pieces to add to my new collection? I only own earrings at this point."

"I didn't get you any earrings since you have plenty. Well... okay, one pair." He offered a toothy grin of his own. "Keep going."

"Which one should I open first?"

"Up to you, but you've got to open them all," he said with a look of victory.

"Okay, okay." She opened the third, fourth and fifth drawer but stopped when coming to a box that was wrapped in a completely different wrapping paper than the rest of the items. "Okay, now I'm curious... and you know how I am when I get curious... what's with the box wrapped in gold?"

"That one is special."

She eyed him for a moment then asked, "Can I open it first?"

A delighted laugh was her reply. "Carmelita, I saved the best for last. But if you insist."

She nodded with a sparkle in her eyes then leaned in, brushing her face against the side of his. She batted her lashes, offering butterfly kisses against his cheek. "Please?"

"You know I can't believe how much you've opened up to me in this past year." He placed his paws on either side of her face then lowered his nose a bit, brushing it against hers. The two met in a soft kiss, a display of their affection for one another.

"You've grown up a lot," she returned. "You've always had potential but it's about time you've decided to be a man. So I'm proud of you. I thought about getting you some coal for your stocking as a joke this year but... are you happy with your gift?"

"I admit, I'm still in shock but it's the best gift I could have ever received." He kissed her forehead then reached to the coffee table and picked up the pregnancy test with the little pink "PLUS" on it. "You know I've always wanted to be a dad. I've always wanted to have kids so I could give them a fulfilling childhood and..." he paused, finding a finger against his lips.

"I'm still in shock, too." She offered him a lame sort of grin then opened the gold box. Her heart was beating rapidly in anticipation of what it might be. Her feminine 'intuition' was on full alert at the back of her brain. "I'm going to open it." Her grin returned, adding, "You can't stop me, Criminal." She quickly began tearing off the wrapping paper until coming to a velvet-covered box. Her heart rate doubled, practically beating out of her chest. This was it. She knew what was inside... it had to be.

All at once, Carmelita narrowed her eyes. She glanced up at him and said, "This is a necklace or earrings or a tennis bracelet isn't it? You're trying to play with my emotions, aren't you?"

"Nope. None of the things you mentioned are inside that box." He looked a little _too_ pleased with himself.

She kept her eyes squinted as if scrutinizing him. "It's a piece of paper with a clue on it, telling me you hid it somewhere around the house or... even worse... somewhere around Paris."

"Could be." His head tilted. "But you won't know until you open it."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, letting her guard down. "Fine, fine. Let's see the first clue, then, Cooper." She thumbed open the box. Nestled within was a piece of mistletoe with a single berry left on it and, encircling the small leafy object, was a platinum band. The vixen grew quiet and reverently lifted the mistletoe from its resting place. Careful not to knock the berry from the plant, she eased it from the ring. Her paws trembled with excitement. She carefully turned it over until her eyes reflected the opulent diamond perched upon the decorative mount.

Sly licked his lips then told her, "I recited a speech but after opening your present, I'm unable to hold a candle so allow me to ad-lib. You've given me something that will last a lifetime. And if I take extra special care, it will outlive me physically _and_ figuratively. It's the greatest gift a man could ever ask for... _fatherhood_. And I'm the luckiest man ever. The least I could ever hope to do is give you my paw in marriage. It's the next best thing I can offer... because it's the only thing I can offer that will equally last a lifetime. So, please, Carmelita Montoya Fox, accept this symbol of my love and my affection... and please accept my paw in marriage.

She licked her lips the way he had done a moment prior then handed him the ring. She saw the worried look in his eyes then she lifted her left paw to him and spread her fingers apart. She perceived the look of relief on his brow and smiled as he slid it along her ring finger. Then he took her paw and kissed her knuckles adjacent to the ring.

Carmelita launched herself up from the floor and tackled him on the sofa. She placed kisses all over his face until he couldn't help but laugh then she kissed him upon the lips in a way that was guaranteed to curl his toes and fluff his tail. "Yes, I would _love_ to be the wife of a reformed criminal, so long as you promise never to backslide. Be true to me and I'll give you all of me. And you'd better behave your very best or you'll _never_ see me in a wedding gown."

Sly wrapped his arms around her and grinned. "How about we seal the deal on Valentine's Day?"

She laughed and nodded emphatically. "Fine, fine... you've got seven weeks to do whatever you need to do to make it happen. But I'm a Latin Lady, so you KNOW I expect to be married in a church with all the pomp and circumstance associated with a fancy wedding."

Sly grinned and said, "You're just saying that because you know I'm the world's unofficially richest man. You _know_ you're going to have the best wedding Paris has ever seen."

She nuzzled the side of his face. "I was just teasing you anyhow." She kissed his nose. "I've won. I've tamed the world's most notorious criminal."

"I've won," he replied. "I've transformed the world's foxiest cop into Carmelita Cooper."

"We could always just change _your_ name to Sly Fox. It _is_ the twenty-first century."

"I think _Carmelita Cooper_ has a nice ring to it. Now that Clockwerk is gone for good, my surname is safe to have. I fought hard to make sure it would be for _our_ children and now... it's time to make that a reality."

"Okay, shut up. You just gave me an engagement ring." She lifted the mistletoe above his head. "We've only got one berry so you'd better make this kiss last." Then, without further warning, she mashed her lips to his and threw her arms around his neck.

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A/N: _Merry Christmas everyone. Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it's so short but I knew this is all I wanted to do for this year... and you KNOW what to expect this February for Sly Cupid. Rawr! _


	7. 2012

December 25th, 2012 – 21:00, Lyon, France

"**Promise me you won't love any other girl than me."** Carmelita's eyes twinkled in the soft illumination of the fire roaring in the hearth.

Sly glanced over at the glistening tree at the far corner of the living room then returned his gaze to Carmelita and said, "I can't."

"Not even one full year and there's already someone else in your heart? Hmph."

Cooper tilted his head a bit. His left ear flickered listlessly then he said, "Yes. And she looks exactly like you but _younger_. And one day soon, she will call you, "Mommy!" Mrs. Cooper."

Carmelita replied with a foxy smile. "Oh you're a clever man, Sly. Because any other answer would have resulted in unforgettable punishment. How'd we get to this point?"

"Well, when we wrote one another's vows, mine had a code in them, tricking you into a promise to become a Master Thief at my side. Then we drove here, because it's close to your job."

Carmelita gawked at him. "Yeah, _right_. Me? A 'master thief,' huh? You have big dreams for such a small chance in hell that I'd ever…" She smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you have a mission?"

"Me? No, I promised I would give that up."

She looked him over then said, "You said you'd stop stealing in order to make me marry you. Now that we've married, I half expected you to go right back to it."

Sly shook his head firmly. "Nope. I've kept my promise."

"I never mentioned stealing… or a lack there-of in the wedding vows I wrote for you."

He grinned. "I'd noticed. And I appreciated it. Still do. Very much so. But I did promise you, way back when, that there would be no such thing."

"What's the job, Sly Cooper?"

He looked around furtively then leaned in close. Carmelita's ears perked up then the vixen leaned towards her raccoon husband. He smiled inwardly then said, "Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to …uh." Sly trailed off, humming the theme song for '_Mission Impossible_.' After a brief pause, he snapped his fingers and said, "Compete against me in the trials."

"Nice try. I know that look. Someone has contacted you and wants to know if you'll pull a heist. What's the job?"

"Well, according to Sci-Fi author, Arthur C. Clarke, the core of Jupiter is a diamond the size of planet Earth. We were gunna go steal it."

She eyed him, half ready for anything at this point. After a moment of staring into one another's eyes, she shook her head and said, "No. Not falling for it. You really do have an offer for work, don't you?"

"Well, if I did, I'd need a partner in crime. And you wouldn't even consider that. So I turned the job down."

"What was it?"

"Well, a covert operation for French Intelligence. Oh, and there was an offer for MI-6. Oh, and the CIA needed something. Israeli Mossad called me. I told them Tel Aviv wasn't romantic enough for my wife. They, uh, didn't seem to like my bluntness."

"Sly…!"

"Nope. I promised, no more stealing. Not even information."

She put her paws on either side of his face and kissed him softly. The married couple enjoyed the kiss then she broke the lip-lock and said, "National and International security is _okay_. Besides we DID just survive the so-called END OF THE WORLD, last week."

Sly tapped her nose with his finger. "Well in that case, I'll just go ahead and call back Patrick, Sir John, Michael and Tamir. You wanna help?"

"You're not kidding are you? Wait. You're on a first name basis with the directors of each agency?"

He offered a shrug then turned away from his wife and lay back, so that his head was in her lap. Sly looked up at her and grinned. "Maybe. So. We have a fire going and it's about fifty degrees outside. Sorry, you prefer Celsius. Forgot. So it's ten exceptionally warm degrees outside right now. You want to consider taking a vacation from Interpol this week?"

She stared at him for a moment then said, "Sly. If there's something going on… you should consider doing it. After all, if things go sour, I don't want to be at fault because you couldn't be commissioned to save the day."

"We have a family to think about now."

"All the more reason you should make the world a safer place if that's really what's being offered, here. And," she trailed off for a moment then, in a softer voice, asked, "Why would you want me to go along with you?"

"You've done stakeouts. You can handle it. You're a pro. C'mon. We could be a husband 'n wife team. How cool would that be?"

"Oh my _goodness_, Sly, who would watch the baby?"

"Well, Penelope and Murray are both good with kids and…"

"Sly Cooper, this had better not go like things went the year before you married me."

Sly sat up and got to his feet. He stretched then turned to face her and laughed. "Oh, Carmelita. That was _so_ then. And this is so _now_. Besides, we only _just_ sold the publication rights of the story to Sanzaru; they haven't even pressed the first copy. Probably won't even get it out to the world until February. That was so totally under wraps. That was then. This is now. New, fresh, exciting. World's greatest parents out to save 'greatest world.' What could go wrong?"

Carmelita waggled her finger at her husband. "Oh don't even ask that question. You know as well as I do that the proverbial 'stuff' could hit the fan the minute you have that stupid stick in your grubby lil' paws again."

Sly shrugged nonchalantly. "No big deal. I won't do it. Problem solved."

"Oh no you don't! You're not laying this one at _my_ feet. You're going to get your ringed tail on that phone first thing in the morning and make some phone calls."

"Oh yeah? Should we sell the rights to this mission to Sanzaru when we're done and it's no longer classified?"

"I don't know. You'll have to talk to Matt Kraemer and Glen Egan again. I have their business card in my purse. Uh… you just need to find my purse. You know how often I use one of those things."

"Yeah," said Sly with a firm nod, "Almost never."

"Exactly. I'm sure it's in the Rolodex." Her tone suddenly turned scolding, "Stop rushing this sort of thing. You've got to make a decision about this job first. Not only that, Mister Egan will want to make sure the story of your last adventure will sell before he'll want to hear you pitch a new one. And this one would be classified at this point anyhow. And for that matter, you've got to live through it. Oh, and on that note, I have to decide if I'm even willing to let you near that damned cane again." She pointed a finger in his face then poked him in the nose in unison to saying the word, 'cane.' "You think you're pretty slick huh? Cajoling me into being your buddy while out on an adventure… hah. I can't be swindled that easily."

"Like I said, Carmelita, I don't even have to return _anyone's _phone call. We can just ignore it all."

She fidgeted. "Every year we've had a nice Christmas. For the past six years, we've had Mistletoe, a glass of wine, nice food… well, okay, there was that one year where I couldn't find you until New Years' but… other than that, we've always have a quiet Christmas. Now you want to come in and break up the pattern. Is that it? You figured since Baby's first Christmas couldn't be a white one, you didn't want it to be _completely_ boring, so you wanted to start an adventure, is that it?"

"Nope. I made a joke, you called me out on something that was at the back of my mind… I'm content to stay indoors and play with the baby while you're doing paperwork in your corner office in that building sitting at 200, quai Charles de Gaulle 69006, Lyon France. Oh, hey," he said, changing the subject, "Remember the time I broke into Interpol headquarters dressed as a delivery boy and brought you flowers?"

She blushed and nodded her head. "You made a mockery of security by slipping through with ease. Sly, when is the job?"

"I don't know. I haven't talked to anyone about it yet. So are you going to kiss me and be all romantic for Christmas?"

"Ready to have another kid so soon after the first?" She smirked. He smirked in reply. She folded her arms and they glared at one another. Finally, Carmelita asked, "Why don't you just join _me_ and become a cop?"

"Because when it comes to catching crooks, I'm better at catching a cold."

"Well, that's a lie."

"Okay, true. I was okay at it. I had more fun _being_ a crook, though. I liked being chased. By you."

"Oh shut up and kiss me."

Sly reached for the mistletoe he had in his pocket. He held it up, leaned forward and just before his lips collided with hers, they both froze at the sound of a baby crying. He licked his lips.

Carmelita laughed softly. "It's your turn, '_daddy_.' You'd better hop to it."

"Yeah, I know, I know." Sly stuffed his paws into his pockets then left the living room and walked into the baby's room. Seconds later, Carmelita heard the baby's room grow silent.

She shook her head then called out to him, "You might be a pretty good husband. You might be a really good father. But you'll always be a criminal, Ringtail!"

X

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A/N: _So, I've been working on my own original story as of late. I invite you to read it – the link is at the beginning of my profile. Go click on my pen name, up top, and it will take you to my profile! It's over on FFnet's sister side, Fiction Press, so you can sign in with the same account you have, here, for THIS site! _

_Also, I know it wasn't super romantic and drawn out this year. It's been one HECK of a year, let me tell you! Plus I wanted to give pause and offer the possibility that, even married, Sly might not be 'finished' with his 'career' quite yet. For those of you who don't know Sanzaru Games, that in-story joke was simple: They're the publishing company who is making the new Sly Cooper due out this February! :D_

_Now, please, I'm begging of you… check out my story-in-progress, it's called A NECESSARY EVIL. For those of you who liked my other Sly Cooper stories, I've taken all my original characters from my other stories and brought them together for the new original story… so a lot of them will feel familiar from my Sly Cooper trilogy. Enjoy! Love you guys! Merry Christmas! Stay safe and by the next time I update the Sly Cooper holiday short stories, we should be about ready to play the fourth Sly Cooper game. Hooray! _

_-Ken_


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